Tractor



J. W. JONES July 7, 1936.

TRACTOR Filed May 10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 N IIVVENTOR. I705? Jonas.

21 5C; TTORNEY J. w. JONES July 7, 1936.

" TRACTOR Filed May '10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIS ATTORNEY July 7, 1936. J w JONES 2,046,517

TRACTOR Filed May 10, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ziagoji/wd'mzes.

HIS ATTORNEY- July 7, 1935 macro Joseph W. Jones, Cog, NI Y., assignor to IngersolbRand Company, Jersey City, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application may m, 1934, Serial N0. vars-1s 2 Claims. (ca. let-a2) This invention relates to tractors, and more particularly to tractors of the track-laying type.

One object of the invention is to assure ready maneuverability of the tractor.

of apparatus of this character and at the same time to assure a rugged and .durable structure which may be readily and cheaply maintained in efficient working condition.

Other objects will be: in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. v In the drawings accompanying this specification and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts, v Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a tractor constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention, v Figure 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, taken through Figure 1 on the line 2-2, and Figure 3 is a view similar tol igure 2 taken through Figure 1 on the line 3-3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 29 designates, in general, a tractor comprising a main frame 28 shown as being fabricated from structural shapes. The main frame 2| supports a compressor 22 which may be connected directly to an internal combustion engine 2% whereby it is driven. The compressor 22 may beof the multistage type, as indicated, and its final discharge output is delivered to a storage receiver is consisting, in this instance,of a pair of inter-connected tanks 25 mounted in the main frame 2|. 0n the front and rear ends of the main frame 2| are axles 26 and 21, respectively, whichare supported by bolts 28 extending 'therethrough and through longitudinally extending slots 29 in the frame 2!. Journalled on the ends of the axles 26 and 21 are sprocket wheels 80 and 3|, respectively, over which are trained endless tread belts 32.

The tread belts 32 consist of tread links 33 which carry rollers '36 wherewith the sprockets of the wheels 39 and 3| engage to propel the tread belts. On the sides of the main frame 2| are vertical guide frames 36 in the form of plates which may be rigidly secured to the main frame,

as by welding. On the outer sides of the guide frames 35 are top and bottom laterally extending flanges 36 and 31, along which the rollers travel,

and the flanges 31 seat upon the rollers of the links engaging the ground and thus serve to support the entire super-structure.

In order to enable the tractor to be readily maneuvered to a desired position each tread belt is provided with a separate driving motor 88 secured to the inner surfaces of the guide frames 35 and out of the planes of the tread belts so that they will be well out of the path of dirt and stones dropping from the inner edges of the Another object is to simplify the construction tread belts. The motors 38 are of the reversible type actuated by compressed air which is conveyed to the motors from the storage receiver at by conduits 39. The driving connection between the motors and the driven sprocket wheels,

of the chain and sprocket type. I The motors are accordingly provided with sprocket wheels it having trained thereon chains 5! which also engage sprocket wheels t2 disposed coaxially with .in this instance those designated 3| is preferably the sprocket wheels 62 as, for example, directly on the outer sides of the sprocket wheels 3!.

To the end that each motor may be separately controlled said motors are provided with individual controlling devices consisting of suitable valves t? to control the admission of pressure fluid to the motors, and on the rear end of the tractor, within convenientreach of an operators platform fit, are a pair of throttle levers t6 and as which are mounted pivotally upon a bar El and are connected to the levers l! of the valves 43 by links $8.

In order that the axles 26 and 21 may be conveniently shifted, longitudinally, for controlling the tension of the tread belt 32 and the tension of the chain M, said axles are provided with set screws 49 which are threaded through the axles and seat against the main frame 2!.

In the operation of the device, whenever it is intended to propel the tractor along a straight course the levers t5 and 46 are moved simultaneously, and in even degree forwardly or rearwardly, depending upon the desired direction of travel, to admit equal quantities of pressure fluid to the motors. Whenever it is desired to veer from the original course the speed of one motor is reduced and, with the other motor operating at a higher speed, the tractor will swing in the direction of the retarded belt tread, or if the motors are operated to cause one tread belt to travel in one direction and the other tread belt elements. By manipulating the set screw 49 associated with the axle 21 said axle may be shifted .to tighten or loosen the chains 4! and to simultaneously tighten or loosen the tread belts 32.

' or tread belts, a verfical guide Should such adjustment of the axle 27 have the efiect of correctly tensioning only the chains 4i and not the tread belts 32 the tread belts may be separately adjusted by shifting the axle 26.

After the correct adjustments have been made the bolts 28 are again tightened to secure the axles fixedly to the main frame.

In practice it has been found that a tractor constructed in accordance with the present inyention is ideally suited for use as a mounting A W mprising a rollers, motors secured to accept? v side of themain-irame to support the entire weight of the tractor and having laterally extending top and bottom flanges on the outer sides vthereof. for guiding the tread belts, a motor mounted on the inner surfaceof each guide member and lying out of the planeof the adjacent tread belt, driving connections between each motor and the contiguous tread belt, and individual power controlling devices for each motor.

2. A tractor, comprising a main frame, a pair of tread belts, rollers carried by the tread belts, a. vertical guide member on each sideof the main -frame to support the entire weight of the tractor and having laterally extending top and bottom flanges on the outer sides thereof for guiding the tread belts, said bottom flanges seating upon the the confronting surfaces of the guide members and lying out of the planes of the tread belts, driving connections between each motor and the contiguous tread belt, and individual power controlling devices for each JOSEPH w. JONES. 

